Repeated confinements, almost daily PCR tests, quarantines ... The Chinese policy of "zero Covid", which implies the same rules for uninfected people, led last weekend to a mobilization on an unprecedented scale since decades in several major cities across the country, including Beijing, Shanghai (east), Guangzhou (south) and Wuhan (center).
The protesters' anger and frustration even led to broader demands including political reform, with some even calling on President Xi Jinping to step down.
Taken by surprise, the communist authorities called for "repression" to contain this movement, but also seem to want to adapt their health policy.
In a desire to appease, several cities have begun to relax health restrictions, such as the abandonment of daily mass tests, one of the tedious pillars of life under the reign of “zero Covid”.
Nicolas Vadot
This press cartoon was produced by Nicolas Vadot.
Born on June 17, 1971 in Carshalton, Great Britain, he has triple French, British and Australian nationality.
He has worked for Le Vif/L'Express magazine since 1993 and for the daily L'Écho since 2008.
His drawings are regularly published on Jean Quatremer's "Brussels Backstage Blog".
He was vice-president of Cartooning for Peace between 2013 and 2017. In addition to being a comic book author, he has published several albums, the latest being the first volume of "Madame Ronchard", released in the fall 2019. He directed an animated short film "The dark aftermath of Brexit", in 2016, written by Philippe Cayla, as well as ten animated films for the "Rock The Eurovote 2019" campaign, encouraging young people to vote in European elections.
Radio and TV columnist, he appears regularly on France 24 during the program "A week in the world", as an editorial writer.
Cartooning for Peace
is an international network of cartoonists committed to promoting, through the universality of press cartoons, freedom of expression, human rights and mutual respect between populations of different cultures or beliefs.
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